On the Edge of a Plane
by Mae Ari
Summary: After Takato had found the portal to the Digital World in episode 51, what do you think happened? What if Takato decided to return with Henry and Rika to find their partners? Trouble and chaos will brew in both worlds when a new enemy strikes.
1. Episode One: A Gate, A Hesitation

A/N: Ahem... This story is sort of like another season of Tamers... without the annoying commercials and animation. There aren't any shippings involved because I plan to focus on the characters and the plot, not the romance (you guys have enough of that, don't you?). Don't worry, there's plenty of action coming up later.

EDITED: Thanks to some helpful comments on this chapter, it was edited and proof-read over some more and made necessary changes.  
  
_Italics: _A character's thoughts or emphasis on a certain word. You'll know the difference.  
  
**Disclaimer: **I do not own Digimon and they belong to Toei, Bandai, etc., etc. I only own the ideas for this story.

Episode One: A Gate, A Hesitation _Running through the morning to the park where you wait for me. My shoes are getting tight again -- Across the Tears_ Takato ran as fast as his legs would carry him to the nearest phone booth. He had to call the others -- he couldn't believe it -- he almost didn't dare to believe it.  
  
"Oh, Guilmon... " he said softly.  
  
He had just saw the same exact digital portal they had used to enter the Digital World... Since it was opened... He could see his partner again.  
  
Takato dialed Kenta's cell phone. It rang. And rang. And rang.  
  
"C'mon, guys, where are you?" he muttered to himself.

* * *

There was a huge splash that soaked Kenta's face.  
  
"Hey! I'll get you for that!" he shouted.  
  
"In your dreams, pal," Kazu shouted back. He swam as fast as he could while yelling out how even his grandmother could beat Kenta.  
  
They laughed and shouted some more, deaf to the ringing from the phone that was inside a black bag by where their towels were.

* * *

Jeri... she would definitely want to see Calumon again. He dialed her number and waited anxiously, but after five rings, he decided to inform her later. However, he had no idea where Ryo would be or how to contact him. Then again, he always managed to show up at the most unexpected moments.  
  
"Hello?" said a man's voice.  
  
"Oh! Um, hi, Mr. Wong. This is Takato Matsuki. Is Henry there?" asked Takato hurriedly. Who knew how long the portal had been opened?  
  
"No, I'm sorry, he's at his martial arts lessons," replied Henry's father. "Should I leave a message?"  
  
"Yes, can you tell Henry to meet me at the park at four? Tell him it's urgent."  
  
"Oka-"  
  
Takato had already hung up and began dialing Rika's number.  
  
"She's not home," he said to himself. He hung up. Where was everyone? Takato became impatient.  
  
He changed his mind and began running to his house. The excitement in him was churning his stomach as he skidded to a halt in the entranceway and rushed past a customer.  
  
"Takato!" scolded his mother.  
  
"Sorry, mom!" he shouted from upstairs. Takato searched around in his room. Nothing. "Oh darn, where is it? I had it somewhere around here..."  
  
"Takato!"  
  
"What?" He was annoyed now. Where _was _it?  
  
"Get downstairs and take out the trash!" his mother ordered.  
  
Takato made his way downstairs and found the trash can by the doorway. His eyes widened when a familiar glint blinked in the light.  
  
"There you are," said Takato. He picked up his yellow goggles. Admittedly, it was dirty as it had been in the trash, but a good wash would fix it. However, his mother picked the worst time to come to the back of the store, where he was clutching his goggles.  
  
"Takato, those are filthy. Put them back into the trash right now. We can buy you new ones," his mother said.  
  
"No! Mom, these are really special... You can't throw them out," said Takato defensively.  
  
She went to set the cardboard box she had been holding by another set of trash cans outside and ignored him.  
  
"Takato, those have been in the trash. Be a good boy and put them back in the can and go wash your hands."  
  
"No!" Takato shouted. His mother looked at him warily as he dashed away. He didn't hear her sigh and retreat back into the kitchen.  
  
Unfortunately, the goggles were filthy, and he decided to wash them in the fountain. Takato sat down on the edge, looking up at the sky. He wished he could see the Digital World as well here... It occurred to him he never really saw it as a whole.  
  
_I guess I was too busy fighting._

* * *

Henry had managed to improve on his martial arts skills but as his sensei had told him, he was still unfocused at times. Leaning against the cool wooden wall made him slightly calmer. However, he had let his emotions run with him today and he was hardly on his guard. But he couldn't help it... The absence of a certain dog eared rabbit was noticeable. Everyone had moved on but remembered the times they shared... He packed and bowed respectfully to his sensei before departing. Hopefully, he could get the rest of his homework finished tonight. Although there was still two weeks left in school, it felt like Digimon had never existed. Everything was back to what it was before Terriermon had arrived.  
  
"You're back," said his father. "I've been eating pig's feet. Want a bite?" Henry shook his head. "Oh, by the way, Takato left me a message for you. He told you to meet you at the park at four. But since you still have a hour, why don't you finish your homework first?"  
  
Henry felt a bit puzzled. Ever since the Digimon had left, he and Takato had stopped hanging out. Henry had used his homework excuse to stop from seeing him. Although... Takato didn't make any attempts to talk to Henry either until now.  
  
What did he want?  
  
He supposed he could go. There was no damage in that, right?  
  
But it did. It brought up memories of Terriermon and Guilmon too. He hated being so selfish but he did not want to be by Takato. They had a lot of good times but they were almost always with their Digimon... He couldn't face Takato just yet. Nor Rika or any of the other Tamers. Rika lost contact from both of them as well, but he knew if she did not want to talk, it was useless to try.  
  
_I guess I should make it up to him._  
  
Henry did not notice the strange flicker of green light on two twin buildings.

* * *

"Rika, I got you a present," said her grandmother. It was wrapped neatly in colorful paper and had a bow stuck on it. Her grandmother and mother had went to Paris, France for a photo shoot. Apparently they had enough time to buy gifts as well. "But it's not my birthday," said Rika, puzzled. Suddenly, she became stern. "Are these more dresses? You know I hate those."  
  
"No, it isn't a dress," said her grandmother. She chuckled. "It's a laptop. I thought you might like it."  
  
Indeed it was. It looked very expensive from the sleek design and its "many features" according to the instruction manual.  
  
"A laptop?" Rika was completely puzzled now. What would she do with a worthless piece of metal all day? Write e-mails all day like her grandmother? However, it was the thought that counted... Unless the thought consisted of hideously pink outfits. "Um... thanks, Grandma."  
  
"No problem," said her grandmother. She was pleased. "I'm going to start unpacking. You can go on and give it a try if you want. It might take a while to get used to it."  
  
"I think I'll head to the park," decided Rika. She put the laptop on the table. "I'll be back later."  
  
"Okay. Don't stay out too late," warned her grandmother.  
  
"I won't," she said in annoyance. She shut the doors and made her way out of the garden.  
  
On her way, a flash of light caught her attention. Pausing, she saw Takato Matsuki sitting on the edge of a fountain with his goggles in one hand. They were smudged and oddly dirty.  
  
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" demanded Rika.  
  
"Waah! Rika!" Takato jumped and landed himself inside the fountain. He was soaked to the bone.  
  
Rika scoffed and prepared to leave when Takato cried out, "Wait! I wanted to tell you something!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Um... Meet me and Henry at four in the park," said Takato.  
  
Rika smirked.  
  
"It is four."  
  
Takato flushed in embarrassment and laughed while rubbing the back of his head.  
  
"Oh. Guess time flies, huh?" He was grinning. How could anyone look like that when they had just made a complete fool of themselves in public?  
  
Rika decided to take pity on the idiot and reached out to help him up.  
  
"Hold on, let me clean my goggles -- "  
  
She rolled her eyes.  
  
When he finished, they left for the park. The few people who remembered seeing them on television looked at them strangely.  
  
"C'mere," he waved toward a very familiar place.  
  
A sudden pang hit her chest as she found herself breathing a little heavier. It was the goofball, Guilmon's old hideout. They used to have meetings there and Renamon would...  
  
Her eyes narrowed. No. She had forced herself not to think about Renamon anymore.  
  
"Hey, are you coming?"  
  
Rika nodded reluctantly and walked up the steps. From the look on his face, he was obviously happy about something.  
  
"Henry! Over here!"  
  
This caught Rika by surprise. Takato had brought Henry with him as well? What was this about?  
  
Obviously, Henry caught on to Takato's strange behavior, for he asked, "Takato? Are you feeling well?"  
  
"Of course!" he said. His grin seemed to get impossibly bigger. "Come down here. I want to show you something."  
  
Henry and Rika exchanged looks before entering the hideout.  
  
"So, what do you think?" asked Takato.  
  
Rika's breath hitched inside her throat. Her eyes widened and she felt herself go numb.  
  
"No..." whispered Henry. "How was this possible? Takato, when did you find this?"

* * *

Henry wanted to pinch himself to make sure it wasn't just a dream. But it was there and so real... "We can go back and get our Digimon!" said Takato excitedly. "We might need to hurry though, I don't know long the portal was opened... I thought we could go tomorrow at noon."  
  
"But... Takato..." said Henry faintly.  
  
Takato's grin changed into a frown when he noticed the two other Tamers weren't jumping with joy.  
  
"What's wrong? C'mon, you guys should be ecstatic! We're going to see our partners again!"  
  
Henry avoided looking at Takato and looked at a wall instead.  
  
"We can't just barge in there. Our Digimon could be anywhere in the Digital World. Even if we make it in there, how will we survive? We only managed because our Digimon were there..."  
  
He could feel Takato's gaze.  
  
"We can't just sit here and do nothing. We could get Guilmon and the others back." Takato sounded confident but Henry knew there was a slight waver now.  
  
Rika was leaning against the opposite wall and had her arms folded across her chest.  
  
"Gogglehead's right. This might be our only chance of seeing... them... again..." she finished. She blinked and choose not to look at either of them but the portal instead.  
  
"See? Rika's with me. Henry, c'mon. Don't you want to see Terriermon again?"  
  
Henry looked at Takato helplessly.  
  
"Don't you remember the last time we went there? We almost got ourselves killed. And I told you, even if we do find our partners, what makes you think they _could_ come back? They were forced back there because of the stupid program!"  
  
His eyes burned and he could feel droplets falling down his cheeks.  
  
"We don't know if they're alive or not! You remember those Jagamon and what happened to Meramon? Ever since the Shining Evolution, Digimon have become stronger. Without us, they can't digivolve. They might as well be deleted!"  
  
Takato's eyes widened in fear and Rika's body froze.  
  
Henry took deep breaths to calm himself down. All of this had been on his mind for so long that it was a relief to let it out. He knew he should let go but he couldn't. Terriermon was a part of him!  
  
"I... don't think our Digimon are gone," said Takato after a long silence. "Our digivices would turn all fuzzy and we would know. They're still out there."  
  
Rika seemed to relax slightly and looked at both boys critically.  
  
"Even though Brainiac is being a Drama Queen, he has good points," she said. "We don't know where Renamon, Terriermon, and Guilmon are. The Digital World is huge and there's good chances we can get separated. How would we protect ourselves?"  
  
Takato looked down at the ground, his face hard.  
  
"Even if you think the risk isn't worth it, I do. I'm leaving tomorrow to find Guilmon and the others."  
  
"And get yourself killed?" said Rika coldly, but her eyes said otherwise. Henry didn't like the idea of Takato going by himself and knew Rika didn't either. "Typical. You don't think do you? We can't bring back the Digimon because of the program that's stuck in Terriermon. You don't know what could happen."  
  
"But I have to try! I'm not staying here doing nothing when there's a chance, even if it's a slim one, to get back Guilmon."  
  
"You're crazy," said Rika, sounding much more like her old self. However, she was staring at the portal with a mixture of longing and worry. It wasn't like her to show her emotions but, like Henry, she couldn't help it.  
  
Neither could Takato.  
  
"I don't care if I'm crazy! I'm going and that's that. You can't stop me."  
  
Takato stared at the portal with the same fierce determination he had when they were fighting the Deva pig, Vikaralamon. Henry knew it was hopeless to talk him out of it now.  
  
They did not linger long. The three of them parted their ways, each one with a heavy heart. They may have had mixed reactions about the portal... but they knew deep down inside, the desire to see their partners burned bright.

* * *

Takato wasn't aware that his clothes were still damp as he made it back home. He felt depressed that Henry and Rika did not share his enthusiasm but if they weren't going, he guessed he was going on his own. However, there was one small problem.  
  
_How am I going to tell my parents?_  
  
The sky grew dark and Takato ended up writing twelve different drafts of a letter, each crossed out with a big X. Finally, he decided to just write everything out. He wrote about Guilmon, why he was going, and reassurance that he'd be just fine. The last part wasn't exactly the truth as the Digital World could be dangerous and cruel... But he didn't want to make his parents worry more.  
  
By the time he cleaned up, the night was black. He went to bed, falling asleep before his head hit his pillow. Tomorrow was a weekend... He could pack bread and the materials he needed then.  
  
The two towers were still glowing, standing out against the night sky like a light show.

* * *

Rika lay wide awake in her sleeping bag. She wondered what she should do... Henry and Takato were both right... But Henry raised logical points. Takato still planned on going though. _If he can face the prospect of going to the Digital World, I can too_. She turned to her side.  
  
If they found one of their Digimon early on, maybe they wouldn't be in as much danger...  
  
But how could they go back home?  
  
Sighing, she prepared herself for a long night.

* * *

"Ack! Hurry up!" shouted Terriermon. "It's getting closer!"  
  
The dog eared rabbit and a red dinosaur were running away from a large, purple data stream. They panted and struggled to continue to try and outrun the stream. They were both cold, hungry, and exhausted.  
  
"I can't," whined Guilmon. He slowed down to catch his breath.  
  
"Uh oh," said Terriermon. The bunny ran up and tugged Guilmon's tail to get him going but the attempts were futile. "Great. Just great. Where's Renamon when you need her?"  
  
The data stream grabbed them and they proceeded yelling.  
  
"Takatooooo!"  
  
Their voices faded away as the data stream continued on, blissfully aware that it had just transported two digital monsters to the worst place they could end up in.

* * *

A/N: I hope I stayed close to the Digimon show because that's what I was aiming for. Here's a preview for Episode Two: Stormy Day:

_"Takato? Henry? What's wrong with you two?"  
  
They couldn't answer as they fell to the ground, faces twisting in pain. Takato clutched his leg, feeling the waves of pain washing over him in vertigo. Henry was no better off; his stomach was burning in sharp instances, like knives slicing through.  
  
"Guys? Answer me!" Rika was beginning to panic. What was wrong with her friends?_  
  
Please review if you want to find out what's wrong with Takato and Henry!


	2. Episode Two and Three: Plans

A/N: Wordpad has mysteriously vanished and school's been keeping me away from the computer. I'm sorry for the delay and thank everyone who reviewed. To bloodykitsune, sorry no, it won't be Rukato. No shippings will be part of the story.  
  
Also, I realized I couldn't fit everything into one episode so I had to split it to two parts.

**Disclaimer: **I do own three of the Digimon Tamers magna series, but otherwise I do not own anything else Digimon related.

Episode Two: Plans, Part I  
  
Henry yawned as he stretched his arms in the air. He had awoke from a not so restful sleep last night and still felt somewhat drowsy. Suddenly, a deep rumbling caused Henry to glance at his window. Rain started patting on his window as he changed into his day clothes. The thought of walking to school in a thunder storm wasn't pleasant, especially when it was dark. He saw Suzie clutching his mother and whimpering as a flash of lightning illuminated from the windows.  
  
"Mommy, I don't like this. Make it stop," she pleaded.  
  
Henry's mother, who had been trying to cook breakfast, tried to give Suzie the "You're a Big Girl Now" speech, but it wasn't working. His oldest sister, sensing her mother's distress, crouched by Suzie and soothed her with a doll.  
  
There was another rumbling in the sky but Suzie was hugging the doll instead of his mother's leg now.  
  
"I wish Tewwiermon and Wopmon were here wight now." She wasn't bursting into tears now that she had gotten used to the absence of the two rabbit-like creatures but her face was sad and mopey.  
  
"Is something wrong here?" His father appeared in the kitchen holding a newspaper. He set his briefcase beside the table leg as he sat down for food.  
  
"Suzie's just a little scared of the thunder storm," said his oldest sister. She stood up and grabbed a juice carton.  
  
"I am not!" exclaimed Suzie indignantly. She folded her arms across her chest and made a face. The thunder roared in response, causing her to instinctively hid her face on Henry's pant leg. "Okway, maybe a wittle bit."  
  
"Suzie, let go," said Henry gently. "I have to get to school." The weather seemed to enjoy making things worse because the downpour began to hit even harder.  
  
"How about I drive you to school? I'm sure it won't take long," said his father between sips of tea.  
  
"Thanks, Dad," said Henry, relieved. He wondered if Takato still planned to go to the Digital World. If the storm continued on throughout the whole day, he doubted Takato's mother would allow him out to go to the park.  
  
The windshield wipers were squeaking quietly as Henry looked out the window. Streams of water blurred the view but he could see that the storm wasn't going to cease. It wasn't the storm that was bothering him though. His mind kept returning to Takato's idea. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to go with Takato. But they would need a plan.  
  
"Here we are," said his father. Henry nodded and opened the door. "I'll pick you up if it's still like this at the end of school, but otherwise you can walk home if you want. Okay?"  
  
"Yeah, okay," said Henry. He stood with his umbrella as he watched his father drive away. An idea began forming in his mind.  
  
_I hope this clears up_, thought Takato as he looked up at the sky. If it didn't, it would be a day's delay for him. Maybe it would give Rika and Henry more time to think. He knew they missed Renamon and Terriermon.  
  
And truthfully, he did want to find Guilmon and the others together with them. Even when he became a Tamer, he wasn't really alone. Sure, Rika wasn't the nicest person, but she did hang around them on her own free will after a while. Henry was with him most of the time as well. The thought of going by himself alone was a bit depressing.  
  
"Takato, what's wrong? You look sad."  
  
He had been staring at the pavement and hadn't notice there was someone there. Takato looked up and saw Jeri, who was holding a pink umbrella with her puppet on her other hand.  
  
"It's nothing," he said, shrugging.  
  
"Oh, okay," said Jeri, sounding slightly disappointed. "We should go in though. It's freezing out here."  
  
Takato agreed and walked with Jeri into the school. He folded his umbrella and waited for Jeri to finish getting her books before he asked, "Jeri, do you want to come to the Digital World with me to find Guilmon and the others? I don't know if Henry or Rika are coming, but they might."  
  
Jeri's eyes widened in surprise.  
  
"You mean -- we can --" Jeri stuttered. "I mean -- that's so great, Takato! When can we go? Is Rika coming?"  
  
"She might."  
  
"So is everyone coming?"  
  
"Uh... Well, I haven't been able to call Kazu and Kenta," explained Takato. "I don't know Ryo's number either. Henry's not sure about it. I'm going tomorrow though."  
  
"I'll be there," said Jeri, beaming.  
  
Takato's mood lifted. At least he could have Jeri around to keep him company in the Digital World. He spent the rest of class going back to his old habit -- drawing Guilmon.

* * *

Rika was walking home under a black umbrella when she felt a change in the air. She stopped and looked around, but saw nothing. For a moment she stood in the rain, ignoring the people passing by. The air felt as though the sun had warmed it, but that was ridiculous. It had been chilly a second ago, and there was no sun in sight.  
  
But air didn't just warm up in the middle of a street.  
  
She felt a slight throbbing in her temples and shook her head. Rika began to walk again, and the air returned to normal.  
  
_What was that?_  
  
As she walked home, she wondered if she had just imagined it. iIt was probably a heat radiator. Yeah, that's it./i She tried to push aside the thought. Rika had other things to do.  
  
Rika changed into her usual attire at home and wore a rain jacket to go back outside again. Her grandmother called for her, but she responded by saying she'll be back in time for dinner. She put on the hood of the jacket and began to ride her bicycle to the Matsuki bakery. The smell of baked bread and warmth greeted her as she walked in. Takato's mother was standing at the counter, chatting with a lady. Rika waited until they finished, before asking, "Is Takato here? I need to talk to him."  
  
"Of course he's here," answered Mrs. Matsuki. "Takato! You have a vistor!"  
  
There was no response.  
  
"Takato? Come down here right now," ordered Mrs. Matsuki. "Takato!"  
  
Rika watched Mrs. Matsuki walk up the stairs and disappear from view. Her digivice beeped loudly. She took it out and realized something very wrong was happening. Her digital compass was swinging wildly in circles and the screen was flickering green.  
  
What was happening to her D-Power? She frowned. This never happened to it before, so what could possibly be making it react so oddly?  
  
"Takato's not in his room," said Mrs. Matsuki warily. The compass turned off as Mrs. Matsuki appeared at the bottom of the stairs. She had her hands on her hips and looked irritated, but Rika knew that facade well. Mrs. Matsuki was worried.  
  
"Don't worry, Mrs. Matsuki," said Rika politely. "I'll go search for him."  
  
"That's very nice of you but I don't think you should be wandering all over town. Wouldn't your mother be worried?"  
  
Rika had forgotten that her mother was returning home early tonight because of the storm and felt a twinge of guilt. Her mother had become closer to her ever since the D-Reaper incident and, although she wouldn't admit it to many people, she enjoyed spending time with her mother -- as long as the dresses stayed packed away.  
  
"I have a cell phone to contact her with. I'll be okay," reassured Rika.  
  
When she left the bakery, she began riding to the park. She parked her bicycle by a tree and looked around. The rain was pouring harder than ever and it was making her search difficult. Her face and hands were wet and the handle bars were slippery -- but it was the dark that made it the most difficult. When she arrived at the park, Rika walked in the mud and puddles, squinting in the darkness. Rika called out his name but got no reply.  
  
_Where is he? _she wondered.  
  
Rika decided to look in Guilmon's hut but found it empty. The storm was pouring as hard as it could, so she took refuge inside the hut. Taking off her hood, she sat down and looked at the portal. It was still there, shining brightly as ever. Rika felt a strong urge to pull her hand out and just go in...  
  
But she had to find Takato first.  
  
She scowled. Takato picked the worst time to go running off.

* * *

Henry decided to tell his father about his idea.  
  
"Dad? Can I talk to you for a minute?"  
  
"Sure thing, son."  
  
"Um, in private?" Henry pointed to his room. His father looked puzzled but followed him in.  
  
Henry shut his door and took a breath.  
  
"Dad, you remember Juggernaut, right?" It was a stupid question, because of course Henry's father knew of it. He helped program it to put them in this situation. Henry didn't want to blame his father but a selfish part of him did feel it was his father's fault.  
  
His father's cheerful attitude changed almost instantly into a grim one.  
  
"Henry, I told you we had no choice -- " His father's expression was so pained that Henry knew he couldn't be mad at him for it. He went on to explain.  
  
"It's not about that," Henry interrupted. "I meant... if Juggernaut can be put in a Digimon, can't it be taken out?"  
  
His father frowned.  
  
"Well, I suppose you can, but Henry, Terriermon's in the Digital World. We can't reach there with the equipment to reverse the program."  
  
"What if I can?"  
  
"What?" His father looked completely surprised.  
  
"I mean... what if Takato, Rika, and I could travel back to the Digital World? Could you be able to delete it somehow?"  
  
"Henry, it's not so simple. Reversing Juggernaut is complicated. It may take weeks, even months, to complete it because of the way Juggernaut was built. Even if we could finish it in time, how could we send it to you?"  
  
"Maybe... maybe you can send it the same way you sent Grani."  
  
"The Ark? I don't know how we could do that. We don't have the money to make another Ark, or even send something to reverse Juggernaut.  
  
"But can't you make some sort of program? Maybe on a card?" Henry was getting desperate now.  
  
"A card with an algorithm? Shibumi's the expert on that, not me. Although... I'm not quite sure. Perhaps, but I can't be certain. It would take much longer than that red card Shibumi made. Maybe if I can contact him..."  
  
His father snapped out of his musings and looked at Henry soberly.  
  
"You're planning on going to the Digital World, aren't you?" he asked quietly.  
  
Henry nodded.  
  
"I don't know how this will be possible, but we'll try and see what we can do. I'll have to contact the others again..." Seeing Henry's hopeful face, he added grimly, "But Henry -- think about this. We don't have the money or maybe even the chance to build something like the Ark again home. What if we end up dragging something like the D-Reaper along? I can't let you go through this all over again."  
  
"I don't know what will happen, Dad," answered Henry honestly. "But... I have to try. The portal might not be opened after tomorrow. Who knows when it will return?"  
  
"Henry, I -- " his father sighed and looked out at the storm. "Look, I'll fight to get you back safely as possible but I just wanted to tell you... Things can't always be what we want."  
  
"I iknow/i dad," said Henry. "But... please. I have to try."  
  
Defeated, his father said reluctantly, "All right. I'll need to talk to Yamaki, though. What was that device he gave you to communicate with him?"

* * *

"Pyro sphere!"  
  
"Terrier tornado!"  
  
The long, android serpent gazed at them lazily, before electrifying them with lightning. Guilmon and Terriermon both cried out in pain before falling down. They were burned badly from the attack and despite their number, they were outmatched.  
  
"We -- have -- to go -- and hide," panted Guilmon.  
  
"Lightning javelin!"  
  
They ran as fast as exhausted, starving Digimon could run, and the trees shielding them snapped in half from the icy blue whips of lightning.  
  
"Hey -- look!" Guilmon pointed a claw at a pink moving data stream. "Let's -- go -- there."  
  
"Good -- idea," said Terriermon in a strained voice.  
  
"Lightning javelin!"  
  
They ran and vanished within the stream, evading another attack just barely. Megaseadramon, who enjoyed toying with his prey, followed after them.

* * *

Episode Three: Plans, Part II  
  
Takato had his goggles on as he walked in the apparently white oblivion. He had no idea how he had got here, especially since just five seconds ago he head been in his room preparing for his trip tomorrow. He had laid his digivice on his desk and the first thing that happened was that it began to flash green on its square screen. The word WARNING followed and the digivice screeched. Then the digivice began to heat up hotly, to the point where it scorched and Takato dropped it at once. Wisps of smoke rose from the digivice.  
  
"Oh, man. Don't tell me it's broken," said Takato. He was gingerly holding his right hand as he examined it.  
  
Suddenly, a blast of crimson light shot up from the screen and hit Takato's chest directly. He felt nothing, which he considered odd. However, something caught his eye.  
  
His hand was beginning to fade.  
  
"What's h-happening to me?" Takato's eyes widened as his arm began to fade as well. Soon his whole body vanished. His digivice faded in and out, as though matter was struggling to pull apart, and finally disappeared with Takato.  
  
He didn't get a chance to hear his mother shout his name, for he entered something completely unlike Earth.  
  
Now he walked around aimlessly, until he found his gold digivice resting on the floor.  
  
Without warning, he found himself laying on his back, staring up at the infinite whiteness. How he got in the position, he had no idea, for he was eagle sprawled. Then, out of nowhere, red light shot up and circled his head. Feeling dazed and confused, he tried to move his head to sit up right and make sense of it. But his head would not follow his command. He tried moving his arm. It worked perfectly. The red light was still circling his head and it was beginning to frighten him. But his fear left him gradually, to the point where he actually welcomed it. The light embraced him in its warmth and comforted him considerably. He felt as ease, as though nothing could worry him. Even thoughts of Guilmon faded from his mind. Takato began to stop thinking and smiled. The feeling was calm, blissful, and nothing which he had ever felt before. Thoughts of Henry, Rika, their Digimon began to disappear like drawings erased. But he didn't care. He felt nothing and thought nothing.  
  
Suddenly, the red light shot at his digivice and circled around it too. The feeling of numbness went away and quite sharply, his head began to ache. It dulled and ended up throbbing, but Takato was bothered. His mind was disoriented and made no sense as images popped up out of nowhere. The faces of people were blurred and the memories were hazy. They kept popping up and soon Takato lost track. Takato tried to ignore it and think of somthing else besides the constant pressure on his head. After a while, he became tired. He nodded off, his eyes opening and closing until they could not open any longer.  
  
His head hit the wooden desk. He jerked awake and realized he was back in his room with his digivice in hand. The red light was gone. He wondered if he had been just dreaming it as he rubbed his head. The headache was gone, and so was that intangible feeling.  
  
The door opened and his mother appeared. She looked at him sternly.  
  
"Takato! Where were you? There was a visitor looking for you, you know. She's probably out in the rain, catching a cold. If you pull a stunt like that ever again -- "  
  
It took a moment before he understood what his mother had just said.  
  
"Someone was looking for me? Was it Rika?"  
  
Ignoring his mother's lecturing, he dashed off.  
  
"Takato! Come back here, young man!"  
  
He went downstairs and called Rika's cell phone number.  
  
"Hello? Who is this?" It was hard to hear because of the storm blaring in the background. His eyes widened slightly.  
  
"It's me, Takato."  
  
"Where were you! I can't believe you made me look for you. Where are you now?" She sounded very agitated.  
  
"Rika? Are you still outside? I'm in my house. Why were you looking for me? Nevermind. Look, can you come back here? That weather looks nasty."  
  
There was a pause on the line before she finally snapped, "Fine."  
  
Takato hung up and looked out the window. How could Rika possibly imagine going out there to look for him?  
  
But, he realized, he forgotten she had changed. She and Renamon had risked their only trip back to the Real World by rescuing Impmon, even if the chances were slim.  
  
_She really cares about all of us..._

* * *

Rika walked into the Matsuki bakery, dripping wet and shivering involuntarily. Takato's mother was the first to notice and brought her a towel to dry herself with. Mrs. Matsuki handed her a mug of steaming tea and Rika said her thanks.  
  
"Where were you?" Rika asked irritably as Mrs. Matsuki left. "Your mother said you weren't in your room."  
  
"I know," said Takato. He looked at his digivice, which he was holding in his hands. He explained it as well as he could, but Rika couldn't fathom what he meant when he said, "I stopped thinking and feeling... Everything just went away. I can't describe it because when you feel like it, you know you feel it but... I don't know. This is confusing."  
  
"It doesn't make any sense," she said honestly. Her gaze fell on his digivice. "But why would it circle around your digivice? You don't think it was messed with, do you?"  
  
Nothing added up with what Takato told her. However, it worried her. Was the so-called light messing with her friend's head?  
  
"Well, let me see," said Takato. He pressed several buttons but nothing looked out of the ordinary.  
  
Rika saw it was getting late and stood up.  
  
"I don't know what's going on, but maybe Henry has an idea. Maybe we should talk about this later. I have to get home to tell my parents I'm leaving to find Renamon." She put the towel on the table and added, "Tell your mother thanks for everything."  
  
"Oh -- right," he said. Takato walked Rika to the door and said eagerly, "So do you think Henry's coming along too? Jeri's coming along, by the way."  
  
Rika smiled. Unlike Takato, she didn't smile often. It wasn't natural for her to do it as much as he did. But it when it came naturally like it did now, she didn't mind.  
  
"Probably," said Rika. "Call Henry and tell him to meet us after school tomorrow. I plan to go with or without him."  
  
"Well, see you later!" shouted Takato but his voice was muffled by a rumble of thunder.  
  
She rode home into the rain, her smile gone. It was hard enough to explain to your parents you'll be going off to the Digital World, but it was even harder when the fact remains that there would be no Renamon to protect her from wild Digimon. Rika placed her bike safely on the side of her house and she noticed from the windows that the lights were still on. When she walked in and took her sneakers off, her grandmother called her.  
  
"Rika, is that you?"  
  
"Yes, Grandma," she answered back.  
  
There was the sound of hurrying footsteps and her mother appeared with her grandmother by her side. Her mother hugged Rika -- something she wasn't used to, and said softly, "Oh, Rika. I thought -- it doesn't matter now, but I'm so glad you're home. I couldn't bear the thought of you out there in that storm."  
  
"Rumiko, let go of her. We need to get those clothes in the wash. You must be starving."  
  
"I went to Takato's house," she said. "I went to tell him that I was going to look for Renamon and wanted to make sure we went at the same time."  
  
She knew that they were confused so she explained about Takato's idea, Henry's and her's initial reaction, then the reasons why she chose to go with Takato.  
  
"He's going to go no matter what. He's my friend and I want him to be safe," she said in what she hoped was a persuasive tone. "And I miss Renamon a lot. You don't know how much she means to me."  
  
"Of course we do," said her mother. Her eyes softened and she brushed a stray strand of hair from Rika's face. "You're our daughter. We know how it feels when someone we love is gone for a long time."  
  
"Oh, Mom," said Rika, feeling a little pink. She knew her mother was sincere but... she wasn't making it any easier to leave. "You know I have to then. Renamon's not just my partner. She's my best friend. I need to go and get her back."  
  
"But, honey... It's so dangerous and you'll be by yourself," said her mother. Her violet eyes began to to glisten brightly. "I just don't want to lose you."  
  
"Mom, I promise to come back," said Rika. She looked away from her mother, overwhelmed by such emotion. "Takato and Henry will make sure I'm safe. Jeri Katou's coming along too. Do you remember her? I won't be alone."  
  
Her mother wiped her eyes with her sleeve and gave Rika a watery smile.  
  
"You can go," said her grandmother.  
  
"Really?" Rika said in surprise. She glanced at her mother, but she only nodded in agreement.  
  
"We trust you to handle yourself, because we know you're capable of doing things other girls can't dream of. We'll support you as much as we can," said her grandmother.  
  
"Just be safe," said her mother. Her expression was so filled with love that Rika never realized how much she needed it when she was younger. The younger version of herself would've scolded her, but now that she understood love, it made her feel stronger inside.  
  
"I will," said Rika.  
  
She couldn't promise it, but somehow, she knew she'd be safe.

* * *

Henry recieved a call from Takato about their meeting and fortunately, the storm had ceased that morning. He had talked to his father throughout the night and came to a plan. They would communicate with each other about the progress in the Digital World -- but since this communication would be limited, they would have to rely on the hope everything would go as smoothly as possible.  
  
"Hey, Henry," greeted Takato. "Rika should be coming by now -- Jeri's coming too."  
  
Henry couldn't help notice Takato's bulging backpack and said, "Bring much?"  
  
"Heh," said Takato sheepishly. "I told my parents about it and they made me bring a lot of stuff. It'll probably get lost on the way there but at least we'll have food."  
  
"It's okay," said Takato. "But since you're staying behind, can you tell Kazu and Kenta where we went when they come back?"  
  
"Sure. Good luck."  
  
Jeri walked away as Rika came over.  
  
"Why's she leaving?" inquired Rika.  
  
"She said she can't go," answered Takato.  
  
Rika glanced at Henry.  
  
"So you're coming?"  
  
"Yeah. And I found a way we can bring them back for sure," said Henry. He lifted up his D-Power and told them about the plan.  
  
His father had a brillant idea of installing a program onto his D-Power so that his father could send a download through it with his computer when it would be finished. It would act like an e-mail attatchment, and all Henry would have to do is slash the card his father made that would actually activate the program he sent on Terriermon. It would delete the Juggernaut system, making it safe for their Digimon to come back to the Real World.  
  
"That's a good idea," remarked Rika. "But how'll we get home?"  
  
"My dad's going to see if they could make something different this time, and less expensive. If they can somehow make something similiar to a data stream that would transport us to the Real World, it could be easier. Except it would only transport us. He said he'll look into it more, but it might not be final."  
  
"Wow, Henry," said Takato, impressed. "You guys really thought of everything."  
  
"Thanks," said Henry. He looked at his watch. "But shouldn't we be heading off to the Digital World now?" 

"Yeah!" chorused Takato and Rika.

* * *

Terriermon rubbed his horn, as he had landed head first onto the ground. His eyes were closed from exhaustion and his stubby legs were sore from the chase. He tried to move away when Guilmon poked him with one of his sharp claws, but Guilmon's insistence made him open his eyes and snap, "What?"  
  
"That," replied Guilmon, pointing his claw at Megaseadramon.  
  
"Will we ever lose this guy?" asked Terriermon, mostly to himself.  
  
"Lightning javelin!"  
  
Guilmon ran but he was too slow -- the azure current shocked his hind leg and Guilmon fell on his stomach. Megaseadramon turned to Terriermon, and his eyes gleamed in greed.  
  
"Lightning javelin!"  
  
Terriermon weakly attempted to dodge it, but it caught him straight in the stomach; he landed on his bottom and his eyes squeezed shut.  
  
"Henry," he murmured. He collapsed on his side and everything turned black.  
  
Right when Takato was about to reach the portal, he halted. He hissed in pain as he made a move to grab his leg. Henry had stopped too, and had a similiar reaction.  
  
"Takato? Henry? What's wrong with you two?" Rika crawled over to them.  
  
They couldn't answer as they fell to the ground, faces twisting in pain. Takato clutched his leg, feeling the waves of pain washing over him in vertigo. Henry was no better off; his stomach was burning in sharp instances, like knives slicing through.  
  
"Guys? Answer me!" Rika was beginning to panic. What was wrong with her friends?

* * *

A/N: Questions and comments are welcome. This was a lot longer because I pieced two parts together, and it took a while editing. Hopefully you enjoyed this installment and will review!  
  
A preview for the next episode:  
  
_"Why can't you pick on someone your own size?"  
  
The cyborg paused, as though considering whether or not this half-dead Digimon was worth an answer. He spoke in a harsh, flat voice, "You have something I want."  
  
"Like what?" Terriermon asked loudly.  
  
"Human data." _


End file.
